Non ho mai saputo rispondere alla domanda: "Che cosa vuoi fare da grande?"

Panel 1:A classroom in the 1980s or early 1990s. A young boy, around eight years old, sits at a small desk among other children. The boy has dark wavy hair, a thin face, and is looking directly at the camera with a puzzled, slightly wary expression. An adult teacher stands in the foreground, out of focus, one hand raised in a teaching gesture. Sunlight streams through tall windows behind the students, casting long shadows across the wooden floor. The walls are covered with children's drawings and alphabet posters.

“Teacher: What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Narrator:“A question that arrives like a trap dressed as curiosity.”

Panel 2:Close-up of the young boy's face. His brow is slightly furrowed, his dark eyes moving from side to side as if scanning invisible options. His mouth is half-open, caught between words. Around the edges of the panel, blurred faces of other children — some smiling confidently, some looking away. The background is soft and out of focus.

Narrator:“The problem was never a shortage of ideas.”

Panel 3:A split-panel effect: on the left, a silhouette of a firefighter in full gear holding a hose. On the right, a silhouette of a doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope. Below them, other silhouettes: a pilot, an astronaut, a musician with a guitar. All are rendered in flat black shapes against a white background, like cutout shadows. Young Aldo's face appears small in the center, looking at all these shapes with confusion.

Narrator:“It was the opposite. Too many. And I couldn't understand why I had to choose only one.”

Panel 4:The classroom scene returns. The young boy sits still at his desk, his hands folded on the wooden surface. Other children around him have raised their hands or are speaking. The teacher's face is visible now, patient but waiting. The boy's eyes are downcast, studying his own hands as if they might contain an answer. The sunlight has shifted slightly, creating new shadow patterns.

“Young Aldo: I... I don't know.”

Narrator:“The honest answer. The one that didn't fit any box.”

Panel 5:The scene shifts. A teenage Aldo, now around sixteen, sits in his bedroom at night. The room is modest, with posters on the walls — one of a musician visible. He holds a vinyl record or CD case in his hands, studying it intently. His face shows the same intensity as the adult version: dark wavy hair, sharp features, deep-set eyes. A record player or speaker is visible in soft focus in the background. The lighting is warm and intimate, coming from a bedside lamp.

Narrator:“Until I heard Fabrizio De André.”

Panel 6:A close-up of the record or CD case being held in Aldo's hands. The cover art shows figures — marginalized people, street scenes, human faces that don't fit mainstream narratives. Below the image, barely visible, are song titles or artist credits. The hands holding it are young but already show character.

Narrator:“Through his songs, I found an entire humanity that the world looked past.”

Panel 1:A series of quick vignettes rendered in watercolor: a street corner where a homeless man sits against a wall, his face weathered but present. Next to it, a woman in worn clothes standing on a street corner. Then a small figure hunched in an alley. Each figure is rendered with dignity and detail, their eyes visible and alive despite their circumstances. The backgrounds are muted, but the figures are sharp and clear.

Narrator:“Vagabonds, prostitutes, small criminals, the excluded. People the normal world glanced past when it couldn't avoid them.”

Panel 2:Back to teenage Aldo in his bedroom. He sits on the edge of his bed, the album still in his hands, but now his expression has shifted. His eyes are focused, alert, no longer confused. His posture is straighter. The lamp light catches his face at an angle that emphasizes his intensity.

Narrator:“I didn't want to absolve them. I didn't want to turn them into saints. I wanted to listen.”

Panel 3:A split-screen: on the left, a corporate office building exterior, all glass and steel, shot from below so it looms imposingly. On the right, a close-up of a business suit hanging in a closet, perfectly pressed and uniform. Both images are rendered in cool tones — grays, blues, blacks.

Narrator:“Years passed. The world offered its standard uniforms.”

Panel 4:Adult Aldo, now in his mid-adulthood, stands in front of a mirror in a modest apartment. He wears faded jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. His dark wavy hair is tousled, unstyled. He has a short beard and mustache, not meticulously groomed. His reflection shows him studying himself with a slight, knowing smile. The mirror frame is simple wood, the bathroom modest.

“Aldo: Not today.”

Panel 5:Aldo walks down a city street in the early morning. The street is partially empty, with a few other pedestrians in the distance. He wears jeans, a casual shirt, and a light jacket. His posture is relaxed but alert, his gaze forward. Around him, the city wakes up — storefront windows, traffic lights changing, the beginning of a workday. The watercolor style captures the texture of the pavement and the soft light of dawn.

Narrator:“I usually arrived in jeans. I combed my hair the bare minimum.”

Panel 6:Aldo approaches the entrance of an office building. The glass doors are modern and imposing. Inside, through the glass, figures in business suits can be seen moving. Aldo stands at the threshold, one hand on the door handle, looking directly at the camera with an expression that is calm but slightly defiant. His casual appearance contrasts sharply with the formal setting visible behind the glass.

Narrator:“I made no effort to seem more institutional than I was.”

Panel 1:Inside a corporate conference room. A long polished table stretches across the frame, with six business professionals seated along it. They all wear matching dark suits and have similar postures — formal, controlled, professional. Their faces are rendered in watercolor with less detail than Aldo, appearing somewhat blurred or uniform. At the head of the table sits a man in his fifties with a sharp expression. Aldo sits among them, the only one in jeans and a casual shirt, his posture relaxed, his eyes sharp and observant. The room has floor-to-ceiling windows showing a city skyline.

“Executive: So, Aldo, what's your background?”

Narrator:“The meeting. Where expectations and reality collide.”

Panel 2:Close-up of Aldo's face as he begins to answer. His expression is calm, his eyes engaged. His mouth is slightly open, mid-sentence. Around his head, faint watercolor shapes begin to appear — symbols representing his various disciplines: a pen (writing), a graph (analysis), a light bulb (strategy), a computer screen (AI), interconnected lines (connections). These symbols are subtle, not overwhelming, rendered in soft colors.

“Aldo: I do consulting, training, strategy, writing, AI analysis.”

Narrator:“The standard answer. The partial one.”

Panel 3:The executives' faces react. Their expressions show confusion, skepticism, or impatience. One furrows his brow. Another glances sideways at a colleague. Their formal postures remain unchanged, but their eyes betray discomfort. Aldo is not visible in this panel, but his presence is implied by their reactions.

“Executive: That's... quite a range. How do they connect?”

Narrator:“The first crack in the standard narrative.”

Panel 4:Aldo leans slightly forward, his elbows on the table. His casual posture contrasts with the formal setting. His eyes are intense, focused. His hands are visible, gesturing slightly as he speaks. His expression shows both confidence and a hint of knowing amusement — as if he's aware of the discomfort he's creating.

“Aldo: I put together pieces normally kept separate.”

Panel 5:A wide shot of the entire conference room again, but the perspective has shifted subtly. The executives appear slightly smaller, less imposing. Aldo remains in his casual posture, but his presence seems to fill more space than before. The window behind them shows the city, suggesting a larger world beyond this room. The watercolor style creates a sense of movement and energy around Aldo, while the executives remain static.

“Executive: That sounds... complicated.”

Narrator:“When you don't fit the expectation, two things happen.”

Panel 6:A close-up of Aldo's face again. His expression is unchanged — calm, observant, slightly amused. His eyes move from executive to executive, reading them. His hand is raised slightly, about to speak. The background is blurred, focusing entirely on his face and the intensity in his eyes.

“Aldo: Either someone stiffens. Or someone finally listens.”

Narrator:“I work for the second group.”

Panel 1:The meeting continues. One of the executives — a woman in her forties with sharp features and intelligent eyes — leans forward, her posture shifting from formal to engaged. Her expression shows genuine interest. Next to her, another executive maintains his closed posture. The contrast between them is clear. Aldo remains in the background, partially visible, watching.

“Woman Executive: I want to hear more. What exactly do you see?”

Panel 2:Aldo stands up from his chair, moving to a whiteboard or window. He holds a marker or pen. His body language is fluid, confident, professiona yet still casual. His jeans and unbuttoned shirt are clearly visible. The executives are now arranged around him, some leaning in, some remaining distant. Through the window behind him, the city is visible — interconnected buildings, streets, networks of lights.

“Aldo: The gap between what you say and what's actually true.”

Panel 3:A split-screen effect: on the left, a polished corporate brochure or presentation slide — perfect images, perfect language, sterile and safe. On the right, rough sketches or fragmented images showing the messy reality behind the brochure — confused faces, contradictions, real problems. Aldo points from one to the other with his pen.

Narrator:“The point where a story stops being a brochure and starts being true.”

Panel 4:Close-up of the woman executive's face. Her expression has shifted to one of recognition and realization. Her eyes are wide, focused. Her mouth is slightly open, as if she's about to speak or has just had a revelation. Behind her, blurred, the other executives' reactions vary — some interested, some uncomfortable.

“Woman Executive: You're looking for what doesn't fit.”

Panel 5:Aldo nods, a slight smile on his face. His hand is extended slightly, a gesture of acknowledgment. His posture is relaxed but present. The window behind him frames the city skyline, suggesting the larger systems and interconnections he works within.

“Aldo: Exactly. The detail that disturbs the official presentation.”

Narrator:“Because that's where the real story begins.”

Panel 6:A wide shot of the entire conference room. The dynamic has fundamentally shifted. Aldo is now at the center, the focal point. The woman executive and one other executive lean toward him, engaged. The remaining executives sit back, some with closed expressions, some neutral. The room feels divided — those who listen and those who resist. Aldo's casual appearance is now clearly a statement, not an oversight.

Narrator:“The multidisciplinary approach. Once, I thought it was a flaw to justify.”

Panel 1:Aldo walks alone through a corporate hallway after the meeting. The hallway is long, lined with office doors and windows. The floor is polished concrete or tile, reflecting the overhead lights. Other employees pass by in the background, all in business attire, all moving with purpose. Aldo walks in the opposite direction, his jeans and casual shirt visible. His expression is thoughtful, his gaze forward but internal.

Narrator:“I stopped thinking it was a flaw when I realized the flaw wasn't mine.”

Panel 2:A montage panel showing Aldo in different contexts: in a library surrounded by books on different subjects, in front of a computer with multiple windows open, in a meeting with a creative team, standing at a whiteboard covered with interconnected diagrams. Each small scene shows him in his element, bringing together disparate fields. The watercolor style creates a sense of movement and energy across the entire panel.

Narrator:“The system that kept rewarding closed specializations while reality became increasingly hybrid.”

Panel 3:Aldo sits at a desk in a modern office space, different from the corporate conference room. This space is more open, more creative. He holds a pen, and papers are spread before him. His posture is relaxed, engaged. His face shows concentration. Around him, on the walls, are sketches, notes, diagrams — visual evidence of his multidisciplinary thinking. The lighting is softer, more natural than the harsh fluorescent of the corporate environment.

Narrator:“Passing from one sector to another. Translating different languages.”

Panel 4:A close-up of Aldo's hands as he writes or draws on a piece of paper. The paper shows interconnected circles and lines — a diagram that represents how different fields connect. The pen moves with purpose and clarity. In the background, blurred, are more papers and sketches.

Narrator:“Seeing connections where others see isolated compartments.”

Panel 5:Aldo stands by a window in his office, looking out at the city below. The city is rendered in watercolor washes of gray, blue, and amber. Lights twinkle in the distance. His posture is relaxed, one hand in his pocket, his expression thoughtful. His reflection is visible in the window glass, overlaid on the city view.

Narrator:“For me, it's not a value-added service. It's the method.”

Panel 6:The view from the window: the city at dusk, a complex network of buildings, streets, lights, and human activity. The watercolor style emphasizes the interconnectedness — each building connected to others, each light reaching out into the darkness. It's a visual representation of the systems Aldo navigates and understands.

Narrator:“In the modern world, generalism is the highest form of specialization.”

Panel 1:A flashback to a younger version of Aldo, perhaps in his twenties, in a library or bookstore. He stands before shelves of books on different subjects: philosophy, technology, art, psychology, business, music. His hand reaches toward one book while his eyes scan others. His expression shows curiosity and hunger for knowledge. The setting is warm, filled with the soft light of reading lamps.

Narrator:“Years ago, this could have seemed like provocation.”

Panel 2:A classroom or lecture hall where Aldo sits among students. He takes notes, his expression focused and engaged. Around him, other students look bored or distracted, but Aldo is clearly absorbing something deeper. The lecturer is visible at the front, but the focus is on Aldo's engaged attention.

Narrator:“Today, in the age of artificial intelligence, it's almost banal.”

Panel 3:A split-screen: on the left, a computer or machine performing a highly specialized task with mechanical precision — a robot arm, a specialized algorithm, something narrowly focused. On the right, Aldo sitting at a table with people from different backgrounds — a programmer, an artist, a business person, a philosopher — all engaged in conversation. His face shows him bridging these worlds.

Narrator:“While machines grow better at executing specific tasks, human value shifts.”

Panel 4:Close-up of Aldo's face, older now, back in the present day. His expression is thoughtful, his eyes showing depth and experience. His dark wavy hair has touches of gray. His beard and mustache are still short and natural. His gaze is directed inward and outward simultaneously — reflecting on the past while seeing the present clearly.

Narrator:“The capacity to ask better questions. To unite different worlds.”

Panel 5:Aldo sits at a desk in his apartment or office, at night. The space around him is simple but full of evidence of his multidisciplinary work — books on different subjects, a computer, sketches, notes. The lighting is warm, coming from a desk lamp. His posture is relaxed, his expression content. His hands are visible, one holding a pen, the other resting on the desk.

Narrator:“To break automatisms. To imagine new uses for tools everyone has.”

Panel 6:A wide shot of Aldo's workspace, showing the full scope of his multidisciplinary environment. Books, computers, papers, sketches, all arranged in a way that shows how they connect to each other. Aldo is visible in the center, surrounded by evidence of his integrative work. The watercolor style creates a sense of harmony and coherence despite the apparent diversity.

Narrator:“I continue to do what I've done since childhood.”

Panel 1:Aldo walks through a city street at night. The street is quiet but not empty — a few other figures move through the darkness, their forms indistinct. Store windows are lit, casting warm light onto the sidewalk. Aldo's figure is clear and defined, moving with purpose. His expression is observant, his gaze taking in details others might miss. The watercolor style captures the texture of the wet pavement and the interplay of light and shadow.

Narrator:“I listen to stories that exist on the margins.”

Panel 2:A series of quick vignettes in watercolor: a street musician playing to an empty street, a vendor at a night market, a person sitting alone on a bench, a conversation happening in a doorway. Each scene is rendered with dignity and attention to detail. Aldo is not visible in these panels, but his observant presence is implied.

Narrator:“I search for the hidden point. The detail that disturbs the official presentation.”

Panel 3:Aldo stands in front of a building or storefront, looking at a sign or window display. His expression shows recognition and understanding. His posture is alert, engaged. The building is ordinary, unremarkable to most, but Aldo sees something in it — a story, a contradiction, a hidden narrative. The watercolor style emphasizes the textures and details he's observing.

Narrator:“Because that's where the real story begins.”

Panel 4:Close-up of Aldo's face at night. His expression is calm, observant, slightly knowing. His eyes reflect the city lights. His features are sharp and clear in the watercolor style. Behind him, the city is visible but out of focus — lights, shadows, movement.

Narrator:“I distrust the standards.”

Panel 5:A montage of moments from Aldo's life: a meeting where he challenges conventional thinking, a conversation with a friend or colleague where he listens intently, a moment of writing or creating, a moment of solitude. Each scene is rendered in watercolor with warm, amber tones. Aldo appears in each, his presence consistent and grounded.

Narrator:“Not because I confused freedom with chaos. Not because I had a cult of transgression.”

Panel 6:Aldo stands alone on a rooftop or high vantage point overlooking the city at night. The city spreads below him, a vast network of lights and structures. His posture is relaxed but alert. His face shows contentment and purpose. The watercolor style creates a sense of connection between Aldo and the city — he is part of it, observing it, understanding it.

Narrator:“I simply distrust the standards. The rules protect. The standards put you to sleep.”

Panel 1:Aldo sits at a table in a quiet café or restaurant, late evening. The space is warm, intimate, lit by soft lamps. He holds a cup of coffee or tea. His posture is relaxed, his expression thoughtful. Across from him, a chair sits empty, as if waiting for someone. The watercolor style emphasizes the warmth and stillness of the moment.

Narrator:“I don't know if this is called work.”

Panel 2:A close-up of Aldo's face. His expression is serene, his eyes showing depth and acceptance. His dark wavy hair, beard, and mustache are visible in detail. His gaze is directed slightly downward, as if in thought. The watercolor style captures the subtle shifts of light across his features.

Narrator:“But sometimes they pay me for it.”

Panel 3:Aldo looks up from his cup, his gaze meeting the camera directly. His expression is calm, knowing, slightly amused. His eyes hold intelligence and compassion. His posture straightens slightly. The background is soft and blurred, focusing entirely on his face and the directness of his gaze.

“Aldo: And for now, that's enough.”

Panel 4:A wide shot of the café at night. Aldo sits at his table, the only clearly visible patron. The space is quiet, peaceful. Other tables are empty or have blurred figures. The windows show the city outside, lights twinkling in the distance. The watercolor style creates a sense of solitude and peace, but also connection — Aldo is alone but not isolated, present in the larger urban landscape.

Narrator:“Because the world is full of stories that need to be told.”

Panel 5:A montage of brief images: a person's face showing recognition after hearing Aldo's perspective, a company's internal narrative shifting, a project that brings together disparate elements, a conversation where someone finally speaks their truth. Each image is rendered in watercolor with warm, amber tones. These are the results of Aldo's work — the stories that get told, the connections that get made.

Narrator:“Stories that the world glances past because they don't fit the standard narrative.”

Panel 6:A final image of Aldo, back in the café, holding his cup. His expression is peaceful, his gaze thoughtful. He is no longer looking at the camera but at something beyond — perhaps the city, perhaps the future, perhaps the stories yet to be discovered. The watercolor style creates a sense of gentle motion, as if time is moving forward. The warm light of the café and the cool lights of the city beyond create a balance — comfort and challenge, present and future, self and world.

Narrator:“That's where the real story begins.”